It is commonplace that multimedia content is shared between multiple subscriber devices. For example, a central device such as a gateway device or set-top box may be configured to share multimedia content stored on the device with one or more companion devices including media players and mobile client devices such as a smart phone or tablet. Content that is recorded at a central device may be transcoded to a format that is compatible with one or more client devices, and the transcoded content may be transferred to one or more of the client devices. For example, a client device may be synchronized with a central device, wherein content stored at the central device is transferred to the client device for later consumption by a user.
A user may select content of interest at a central device, and the selected content of interest may be conditioned (e.g., processed or transcoded) according to the playback attributes of a client device designated for receiving the content (e.g., mobile device, tablet, etc.). After the content is conditioned to suit the needs of the client device, the conditioned content may be transferred to the client device. Where both the central device and client device have wireless capabilities, the content may be transferred to the client device over a wireless network. The conditioning processes may be time consuming, depending on the quality and/or length of the content and may be carried out by the central device as background processes over an extended period of time. Moreover, one or more users may wish to condition a piece of content for delivery to a plurality of companion devices, and the content may have to be conditioned differently for each of the plurality of companion devices based on the playback and/or delivery requirements associated with the devices. Therefore, a need exists for methods and systems operable to facilitate an efficient conditioning of content for delivery to a plurality of devices.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.